Coalition Politics

It is important to recognize that the
socially
regressive religilous right wing is NOT a majority. They have
achieved notice and influence because they are being used by the
Republican party to increase their voter share just enough to
win
They are no different than hundreds of other religions and
subreligions except for one thing: their desire to politically
force
the rest of us to act according to their beliefs. By their
coalition
with the Republicans, they have gained some influence.
Most Americans, whatever their religious beliefs, are content
with
the freedom to practice them as the Constitution guarantees.
Recently
the Ahmish were granted permanant exemption from jury service
because
they believe that it wrong to judge others. That is as it should
be.
The Ahmish do not insist that we follow their principles. They
only
want the freedom we all enjoy. Of all issues we need to
address,
the most important is
freedom. The Bush Administration has assaulted our political and
legal
rights under the
guise of anti- terrorism, and the religious right wing attempts
to
hamper our religious freedom and medical rights. To
successfully
oppose that
coalition, the Democratic party must focus more strongly on the
freedom
issue, and seek a coalition of our own. The Libertarian party,
though
in
the past considered politically right wing, is most strongly
opposed
to
the erosion of civil rights perpetrated by the current
administration.
They also oppose unwarranted military actions abroad. Though they
differ
in their socioeconomic approach, it has not gone unnoticed that
in
recent years Democrats have proven more apt to balance the budget
and
maintain a growing economy than Republicans. One Democratic
error
needs to be corrected. The Second Ammendment must be fully
supported.
No
single issue has hampered Democrats in the past as much as their
support
for 'gun control'. Their approach to guns as a safety issue has
proven
both ineffective and inconsistent with their support for all the
other
Constitutional rights. The importance of the right to bear arms
has
not
been universally understood, but those who support it realize
that it
is
insurance against despotism; the ultimate deterrance. Before
the
November election John Kerry strongly implied that he supported
gun
rights, but statements from other leaders would be desirable.
Libertarians have elected 578 local candidates to current public
office
and maintain a small but consistent percent of votes in national
elections. Many Libertarians logically support other party
candidates
when it would make a difference in a close race, so there are
likely
more of them than voting might indicate. Their strong support for
civil
liberties alone might gain them far more support, but their
opposition
to government aid for the poor and disadvantaged makes it
unlikely
that
the party will grow much larger on its own. In the past,
Libertarians have been similar to right-wing Republicans on
socioeconomic policy issues, but it is increasingly difficult for
Libertarians to support Republicans who would curtail freedom.
Therefore
I propose that Democrats and Libertarians should work out the
basis
for
a coalition aimed at maintaining and restoring all civil rights.
This
could be accomplished by Libertarian endorsement of specific
Democratic
candidates rather than running their own in the same election
race.
Complete agreement in platforms could not be expected, of course,
Libertarians would gain both by advancing the cause of freedom
and by
increasing its own recognition and influence in state and
national
politics. Americans are less accostomed to coalition politics
than
other democratic nations, but we are faced with one now, and to
defeat
it, we need to form a better one. It's worth a
try.